Wheel dollies, especially those utilized for removing and replacing tandem truck tire assemblies and the like, must provide support means for maintaining the tires in proper aligned relationship with respect to the truck axle. When replacing such tires on the axle, it is necessary that the tires be in such an aligned position as to allow the axle to receive the wheels. If the tires are out of alignment, then they often cannot be accommodated at all upon the axle and if misaligned to a lesser degree scoring of the metal of the rim and axle may result. When tires are being removed, alignment is important in order to avoid damage to engaging metal parts and to avoid damage to seals, threads and bearings.
Wheel dollies have been provided wherein a substantially L-shaped wheeled outer support frame carries an inner substantially L-shaped wheel carrying frame for vertical sliding movement thereon. Vertical movement may be imparted to the inner frame by jacking means which exert a force between the respective frames. Threaded means have been provided for adjusting the level of the outer support frame by providing a threaded support for a caster mounted centrally at the transverse juncture of the horizontal and vertical legs of the outer support frame. Such an arrangement possesses a disadvantage in that the base or outer support frame itself is adjusted in order to thereby adjust the level of the inner frame restrained thereon against pivotal movement. This adjustment becomes difficult when the inner frame is in elevated tire engaging position because the threaded member must be turned many times due to the relatively great distance between the central caster and casters carried by forward portions of the horizontal legs of the outer support frame. If the load is already on the wheel carrying frame further difficulties are encountered since it is necessary, when making the threaded adjustment, in effect to lift the entire load since it is the base or support frame whose level must be adjusted.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide means for adjusting the inner wheel carrying frame of a wheel dolly with respect to the wheeled outer support frame which may be maintained in level position at all times.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a wheel dolly wherein threaded adjustments are made about a relatively short lever arm so as to minimize the number of turns which must be imparted to effectively adjust the wheel supporting legs of the wheel carrying frame.
Still another important object of the invention is to provide a wheel dolly wherein an inner wheel carrying frame may be tilted with respect to a wheeled outer support frame with a minimum adjustment to impart a tilting action to a load carried by the inner frame.